ROSSI Rosanna Maria

Programma: 

Level: A2+ (Entry) → B1+ (Exit)
Duration: 80 contact hours
Core Objective: To develop "Independent User" status, enabling students to interact with native and non-native speakers with a degree of fluency and spontaneity.

1. Linguistic Competence (Grammar & Syntax)
The university standard requires moving beyond basic "survival" grammar into nuanced structures.
Focus Areas:
• The Narrative System: Mastering the interplay between Past Simple, Past Continuous, and Past Perfect for storytelling and reporting events.
• Aspect & Duration: Contrasting Present Perfect Simple (results) with Present Perfect Continuous (duration and process).
• Future Dynamics: Expressing intent (going to), formal arrangements (Present Continuous), and predictions/spontaneous decisions (will).
• The Subjunctive Gap (Conditionals): Transitioning from real possibilities (1st Conditional) to hypothetical/imaginary situations (2nd Conditional).
• The Passive Voice: Introduction to the Passive in Present and Past tenses for formal reporting and objective writing.
• Sentence Architecture: Using Relative Clauses (defining and non-defining) to create complex, cohesive sentences.
2. Vocabulary & Functional Language
Expanding the "lexical range" to avoid repetition and increase precision.
•Lexical Domains: Media and technology, environmental issues, travel and "global citizenship," work-life balance, and education systems.
•Word Building: Systematic study of prefixes and suffixes to transform word classes (e.g., depend → dependent → independence).
• Collocations & Idioms: High-frequency verb-noun patterns (e.g., to give a presentation, to meet a deadline) and common phrasal verbs.
• Functional Language:
o Agreeing and disagreeing politely.
o Asking for clarification and paraphrasing when a word is forgotten.
o Expressing degrees of certainty and probability.
3. Integrated Skills & Academic Competencies
Listening & Speaking
• Oral Interaction: Ability to sustain a monologue on the set book for 2–3 minutes.
• Decoding: Understanding the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters; identifying the speaker's mood or tone.
Reading & Writing
• Textual Analysis: Reading for "gist" (skimming) and reading for "specific detail" (scanning) in articles and reports.
• Productive Writing:
o Informal/Semi-formal Emails: Maintaining appropriate register.
o Review writing: Structuring a review text with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
o Linking Devices: Mastery of "signposting" (e.g., Furthermore, On the other hand, Consequently).

Programma: 

Level: B1+ (Entry) → B2+ (Exit)
Duration: 72 contact hours
Core Objective: To develop "Vantage" status, enabling students to argue a point of view, produce detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects, and interact with a degree of fluency that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party.
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1. Linguistic Competence (Grammar & Syntax)
The B2 standard requires precision and the ability to express subtle nuances of meaning.
• Focus Areas:
o Advanced Narrative & Aspect: Distinguishing between Past Perfect Continuous for background duration and the Past Simple for narrative peaks; using "would" and "used to" for habitual past actions.
o Speculation & Deduction: Mastering Modal Verbs in the past (must have been, could have been, shouldn't have) to analyze previous events.
o The Conditional Spectrum: Moving into 3rd Conditionals (regrets/historical hypotheses) and Mixed Conditionals to connect past actions with present results.
o Emphasis & Focus: Introduction to Cleft Sentences (What concerns me is...) and Inversion (Not only did they...) for rhetorical effect.
o Advanced Passive & Causative: Using the Passive Reporting Verbs (It is thought that...) and Causative structures (to get/have something done) for professional distance.
o Complex Verb Patterns: Discriminating between Gerunds and Infinitives where meaning changes (remember to do vs. remember doing).
2. Vocabulary & Functional Language
Shifting from "common" words to a more sophisticated, precise lexicon.
• Lexical Domains: Ethical dilemmas, socio-political trends, urban development, artificial intelligence, and the global economy.
• Connotation & Register: Identifying the difference between neutral, formal, and informal synonyms (e.g., smart vs. astute vs. brainy).
• Idiomatic Fluency: Mastery of Metaphorical Language and Fixed Expressions that go beyond literal meaning.
• Functional Language:
o Negotiation & Persuasion: Hedging and boosting opinions to win an argument.
o Managing Interaction: Taking the floor, interrupting politely, and using "fillers" to maintain fluency during complex thought-processing.
o Stating Hypotheses: Using "supposing," "provided that," and "as long as" to set conditions.
3. Integrated Skills & Academic Competencies
Listening & Speaking
• Argumentation: The ability to present a clear, prepared argument, giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view.
• Nuanced Decoding: Identifying implicit meaning, sarcasm, and cultural references in rapid, standard speech.
Reading & Writing
• Critical Reading: Distinguishing between fact and opinion; identifying the writer's stance and the underlying purpose of complex articles or literary prose.
• Advanced Productive Writing:
o Short story writing: being able to formulate a a short story on a variety of topics.
o Cohesive Devices: Moving beyond simple linkers to complex logical connectors (notwithstanding, in light of, given that, subsequently).